Consignment conundrum

February 3, 2009

A friend of mine recently left her post as a young miss apparel buyer for Macy’s to try something “totally different.”

She bought a children’s consignment shop in our neighborhood and she took over it this week.

My friend is very bright and a savvy retailer, so I know that even though she admits she knows little about the consignment business, she’ll do well.

To boot, her timing is impeccable.

Not only did she spare herself a possible layoff this week at Macy’s where 7,000 jobs are diminishing, but she is trying her hand at the wave of the future – “recycling” and thrift shopping.

My friend said she plans to upscale the store’s assortment with more name-brand pieces and dressy dresses in hopes of attracting a new breed of customers who might not have shopped consignment in better economic times.

I hope she is right.

But take the tickets – and the merchandise – a notch too high and she might be trading off old loyals – like me, for example — for a handful of hesitants just dipping their toes at the concept.

Posted by Cecile Corral on February 3, 2009 | Comments (5)

February 4, 2009

In response to: Consignment conundrum
kcs commented:

kudos to your friend to have the guts and the smarts to retreat from the ranks of corporate america right now. I have done the same after 25+ years on "the other, darker side" and have never been happier or more personally successful. Look at it this way...we can always go back if the opportunity arises......

February 3, 2009

In response to: Consignment conundrum
Preach commented:

You call that ukay-ukay here in the Philippines. I don't think it is a healthy alternative. It may be good for your friend but it would not help the economy or the industry per se.

February 3, 2009

In response to: Consignment conundrum
Preach commented:

You call that "

February 3, 2009

In response to: Consignment conundrum
Preach commented:

You call that "

February 3, 2009

In response to: Consignment conundrum
Ron Larson commented:

The problem of corporate professionals buying their own businesses is that they can never buy (afford may be a better word) a business that will enabel them to exercise or compensate them for their skills and experience. The skill set that is developed to be able to select for a regional or national audience and handle the politics of a large corporation,have little or nothing to do with a small private business. All that you know will be only a small part of what you will need to be successful in this new environment. If you can not be persuaded to stop befor you loose a lot of your hard earned money, at least be humble enough to find someone who is successfully doing what you'd like to do and work for them for a year.....then decide if this is what you want to do. There is a reason the grass looks greener. Ignorance.